Quality of life comparison

compared to

If you lived in Ghana instead of Laos, you would:

Health

live 1.2 years longer

In Laos, the average life expectancy is 68 years (66 years for men, 70 years for women) as of 2022. In Ghana, that number is 69 years (68 years for men, 71 years for women) as of 2022.

be 5.7 times more likely to be living with HIV/AIDS

In Laos, 0.3% of people are living with AIDS/HIV as of 2020. In Ghana, that number is 1.7% of people as of 2020.

be 2.1 times more likely to be obese

In Laos, 5.3% of adults are obese as of 2016. In Ghana, that number is 10.9% of people as of 2016.

Economy

make 30.4% less money

Laos has a GDP per capita of $7,900 as of 2022, while in Ghana, the GDP per capita is $5,500 as of 2022.

be 27.9% more likely to live below the poverty line

In Laos, 18.3% live below the poverty line as of 2018. In Ghana, however, that number is 23.4% as of 2016.

Life

be 13.7% less likely to die during infancy

In Laos, approximately 37.8 children (per 1,000 live births) die before they reach the age of one as of 2022. In Ghana, on the other hand, 32.6 children do as of 2022.

have 39.4% more children

In Laos, there are approximately 19.8 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024. In Ghana, there are 27.6 babies per 1,000 people as of 2024.

be 2.1 times more likely to die during childbirth

In Laos, approximately 126.0 women per 100,000 births die during labor as of 2020. In Ghana, 263.0 women do as of 2020.

Basic Needs

be 13.7% less likely to have access to electricity

In Laos, approximately 100% of people have electricity access (98% in urban areas, and 93% in rural areas) as of 2021. In Ghana, that number is 86% of people on average (95% in urban areas, and 74% in rural areas) as of 2021.

Expenditures

spend 69.6% more on education

Laos spends 2.3% of its total GDP on education as of 2020. Ghana spends 3.9% of total GDP on education as of 2018.

spend 48.1% more on healthcare

Laos spends 2.7% of its total GDP on healthcare as of 2020. In Ghana, that number is 4.0% of GDP as of 2020.

The statistics above were calculated using the following data sources: The World Factbook.

Ghana: At a glance

Ghana is a sovereign country in Africa, with a total land area of approximately 227,533 sq km. Formed from the merger of the British colony of the Gold Coast and the Togoland trust territory, Ghana in 1957 became the first sub-Saharan country in colonial Africa to gain its independence. Ghana endured a long series of coups before Lt. Jerry RAWLINGS took power in 1981 and banned political parties. After approving a new constitution and restoring multiparty politics in 1992, RAWLINGS won presidential elections in 1992 and 1996 but was constitutionally prevented from running for a third term in 2000. John KUFUOR succeeded him and was reelected in 2004. John Atta MILLS won the 2008 presidential election and took over as head of state, but he died in July 2012 and was constitutionally succeeded by his vice president John Dramani MAHAMA, who subsequently won the December 2012 presidential election.
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How big is Ghana compared to Laos? See an in-depth size comparison.

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